Don't You Wish You Were Us?
by iluvtodance
Summary: A collection of one shots featuring the amazing couple that never was: Ray and Stella. No one quite understands how the narcissistic soccer captain and free spirited lead guitarist fit as a couple-except for them.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing involving** _ **Lemonade Mouth**_ **. Just having fun imagining different Rayella scenarios :D**

"So this is your locker," Stella pointed to the locker and offered the nervous transfer a kind smile, "It's a great location, so no worries. Once you put your stuff away, I'll give you more of the grand tour and we can grab some lemonade from the basement!" Stella rubbed her hands together, clear excitement radiating from her face, which Sasha tried to emulate.

"Okay. Thanks Stella." Sasha smiled gratefully before trying to open her locker. She had just figured out the combination when a loud voice startled her.

"YO! FRESH MEAT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN." The sound of scattered laughter echoed through the halls, making Sasha turn in its direction. Standing at the front of a large group of jocks and cheerleaders, was a boy with short blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes. Sasha couldn't help notice how handsome he was, but at the same time, he looked scary and intimidating. She nervously glanced up at Stella who did not react at all to the new presence.

"Beat it, Beech! I'm in the middle of a tour," Stella shook her head, making a face at Sasha that was clearly mocking the blonde jock.

Ray just smiled, clearly happy that he got a reaction from the punk brunette. "Why don't you make me, Yamada?" He raises his arms up, beckoning her to come closer.

"You don't want me to embarrass you in front of your loyal crew made up of the 1% of the high school population." She turned to Sasha, whispering not so discreetly, "They suffer from fragile egos."

Ray licked his lips, his smile now smaller than it once was. "Whatever. Have fun touring the lovely Mesa High." He grinned at Stella who just waved him off before leaning against the locker.

"I will once you leave! I want her to like the school and show her that not everyone who goes here is an obnoxious jerk like you," Stella spoke the words casually, but they still held a bitter tone that Ray immediately caught.

Sasha watched as the blonde jock stared at Stella, his eyes inspecting her critically. "I'm not the one who joined the welcome committee." He almost sounded defensive.

Stella crossed her arms, shooting him a stern glare. "Wouldn't kill you to be nice." She shrugged her shoulders, looking away from his intense gaze.

Ray sighed, looking torn for a minute, before he finally looked directly at Sasha. "Welcome to Mesa. I'm Ray. If you need anything, please hesitate to ask." He shot her a charming grin.

Stella fought off a smile as she addressed Sasha, "I promise he's an actual human being and not a robot."

He faked a loud, obnoxious laugh before sneering then sticking his tongue out at her. He passed her quickly with his jock/cheerleader posse, but suddenly the group halted, causing a chaotic jumble of annoyed cheerleaders and confused teammates. Ray, however, effortlessly moved through the group to direct his attention at Stella again. "Seriously though, Yamada—what time?"

Without a beat, Stella replied, "I don't know—like 6?" She lifted one shoulder with a cool air of nonchalance. Sasha watched the exchange with confusion. They were hurling insults at each other only seconds before…

Ray scrunched his face up in clear dissatisfaction with her answer. "Why the hell do you Lemonade mouths need all of that time to practice?!"

Stella wasted no time retorting, "Why do your soccer practices sometimes last like 3 freaking hours, Beech?!"

Ray rolled his eyes at her. "We're state champions." Stella rolled her eyes right back at his obnoxiously confident tone. Releasing a short laugh, Stella wiped her eyes for the dramatic effect and shook her head at the visibly annoyed blonde. "That's adorable," Stella mocked. "Lemonade Mouth played Madison Square Garden."

Ray took a step forward, a deep scowl on this face. "La-di-freaking-da," he spit out. "I'm the captain of a championship team, and I am the lead singer and founder of my kick ass band. I don't need your pity, Yamada." He shook off his Letterman jacket, and in a quick movement, threw it over her shoulders. "I'll be there by 6:15 at the latest." Despite the misplaced affectionate gesture, he still looked irritated at her.

Stella smirked, "Aye, Aye captain!" She saluted him, giggling when he released a frustrated groan. Sasha noticed the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

"Whatever," he waved her off in a bored tone before attempting to step back, but Stella grabbed his arm before he could leave.

"Hey! You can't leave until you apologize for insulting my band."

"Not until you apologize to me. You also insulted my favorite sport and awesome band."

Stella winced at his choice of words to describe his band. "Let's just agree to disagree," she mentioned uneasily, not willing to give up her pride. Of course, Ray agreed.

"Works for me," he nodded, before grabbing her cheek and leaning forward to place a long kiss against her lips. "See ya," he whispered. As he pulled away, Stella reached forward to grab his chin and stroke it quickly before releasing her grip.

"Bye honey!" She yelled obnoxiously, grinning when Ray stuck out his tongue at her before leaving with his loyal crew trailing behind him.

Turning to face a shocked Sasha, Stella smiled at her. "He's so fun to mess with." She slipped her arms into the jacket, grabbed her backpack, and motioned for Sasha to follow. Sasha just led Stella lead, still having no idea what just happened.

 **A/N: I'm late to the Lemonade Mouth party, but I really wanted to write about Ray and Stella. Let's admit it—they would be epic together. This will be a collection of one shots or pieces of micro fiction—teeny tiny stories featuring them. I don't know how many there will be, but I'll keep adding them until I feel like it's finished. Thank you for reading and leaving reviews!**


	2. Chemicals React

**Disclaimer: I don't own** _ **Lemonade Mouth**_

 **A/N: Chapter title is inspired by Aly and AJ's "Chemicals React"**

Stella rested her head against her chemistry textbook, making sure to knock her head against the book a couple of times for good measure. According to her, the book was going out of its way to torture her. The brunette groaned, making her friends sitting at the table laugh at her usual anti-studying antics.

"Stell, you can do this," Olivia ever the thoughtful, optimistic one of the group, shared an encouraging smile at her best friend before tackling her next quadratic equation.

Stella just grunted in response, prompting Mo to try her luck. "Liv is right Stell. You already know what your parents said would happen if you failed another chemistry test."

Stella lifted her head up, squinting at the harsh fluorescent lighting of their school library, "Issue a DNA test to find out if I'm in fact a member of my family?" Stella paused, contemplating the idea. "That might actually not be such a bad idea. It would answer a lot of questions." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly before flopping forward again.

The other members of Lemonade Mouth just shook their heads at their over dramatic friend. Liv readied herself to immediately disagree with Stella, but quickly forgot her next remark when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. She let out a squeal that led Wen to quickly put her mind at ease and reveal that it was only her boyfriend and not some creeper hugging her. "It's me, Liv." He spoke the words sweetly into her blonde hair before placing a small kiss at the top of her head.

Olivia leaned her head backward, face flushed with embarrassment. "Totally knew that," she assured him with a shy smile, which turned into an even bigger smile when Wen kissed her on the lips.

The two continued their sweet exchange of kisses until a muffled, voice broke up the love fest. "Guys, I can hear you making out from here. Stop," Stella whined. She still didn't lift her head.

Wen shook his head at his friend, pulling up a chair next to Olivia. "Chem test?" He asked, laughter already bubbling in his chest.

Olivia nudged her head against his, "She's very upset about it," she informed her boyfriend with a serious expression. "Be nice," she pouted her lip at him, getting him to smile.

"I always am," he retorted before kissing the top of her nose. They broke apart at the gagging noises Stella was making.

Wen looked at her in disbelief, "How did you even know we were kissing?"

Stella answered, still with her body hunched over her textbook in defeat. "When I hear silence, I assume kissing. Bleh."

Mo rolled her eyes good naturedly at Stella, already equipped with a response protesting her grumpy friend, "Stella that's silly—" she jumped in her seat when she felt a pair of lips on her neck. "Scott," she giggled as her boyfriend pressed tiny kisses against her neck.

"You were saying Mo?" Even her chemistry textbook couldn't keep the smugness of Stella's tone hidden. Finally needing to breathe proper oxygen, Stella lifted her head up and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "You guys are disgusting."

"I agree," came an equally smug but distinctly male voice. Stella whipped her head around, finding Ray Beech spinning one of the library chairs around so he could straddle it. "Finally, we agree on something Yamada." He raised his eyebrows at her, smirk in place at her annoyed expression. He leaned over, looking at her textbook, "Balancing equations, simple." He slung his arm over her chair, "I could've tutored you."

Stella snorted, quickly coughing to hide the sound of her laughter. "That's cute, Beech. Seriously, but I actually want to pass the test." She threw him a fake smile before grudgingly focusing on her textbook.

Ray's mouth twitched in amusement as he stared at the stubborn lead guitarist, "Yamada you know that I'm in AP Physics. It's okay to accept that I could actually help you at something."

He frowned when Stella began to snicker. "You're failing AP Physics." She now turned her full attention on him.

Ray huffed in annoyance. "That was one test!" He crossed his arms like a sullen toddler throwing a temper tantrum at the candy store.

Stella just shook her head at him, a more friendly smile in place as she turned back to her notes. "I thought you were swamped by soccer practice, 'O Captain My Captain.'" She threw in a mock salute to finish off her clever quip, and to everyone's surprise at the table, Ray resisted the urge to make a comeback, just smirking at her, instead.

"Well, if you'd let me know that you needed some help studying, I would've made time. Soccer isn't my life you know." He rolled his eyes when Stella made a weird face at him.

"Soccer not your life." Stella looked around the room as if she were in a panicked state, "Hey everyone! Someone call 911. Ray Beech is sick!" She stuck her tongue at him, throwing a look of disgust at one of his cheerleader groupies who actually pulled out her cell phone.

Ray looked back, knowing exactly who Stella was looking at. "Patty, I'm fine." His obvious annoyance and brisk comment offended the blonde who just plopped back in her seat with a pout. Ray focused his attention on the bitter brunette next to him. "When do you have your test?" His tone was much softer this time around as his piercing blue eyes watched her.

Stella sighed, meeting his gaze. "Next period."

"How long did you study for?"

Stella answered his question immediately with no sarcasm evident in her voice. "Pretty much all week. Last night, my parents made a special all vegetarian meal for dinner and quizzed me throughout the entire meal." Stella winced at the memory of her twin brothers answering all of the questions before she could even string a sentence together. She didn't mention that part.

Ray threw an arm over her lap, clutching the hand that was holding her pencil in a death grip. "You'll be fine." Ray cooed the words softly into her ear, prompting Stella to make eye contact with him again. "You're Stella freaking Yamada."

Stella smiled at his statement, allowing herself to rest against his frame. Ray still held her hand. "You wouldn't be my girlfriend if you weren't awesome. I mean look at me." He smiled smugly despite Stella's look of disgust.

"Why must you always ruin the moment, _Raymond_?"

Ray's smirk left his face quickly. "I told you not to call me that in public Stella _Francesca_." He made sure to emphasize her middle name through his gritted teeth.

Stella surveyed him calculatingly. "You had to go there."

"You already brought it there!" He argued. The bell rang suddenly, signaling the end of the period and the beginning of Stella's doom.

"Oh noooo," Stella exclaimed. "What do I do? I already used my chicken pox, measles, and mad cow disease excuses." She jumped up in a frenzy, flipping through her notes as her friends watched her with growing concern. Stella began to quickly skim the model equation she needed for the test when a pair of arms pulled her down until she was sitting in the lap of Ray Beech.

"Beech! What's your damage? I need to review that note one more time." She tried to get up, failing when Ray refused to let her go. She scowled, ready to yell at him, but his lips quickly silenced her. Stella found herself melting into the kiss, even sighing in contentment at her boyfriend's successful distraction. Her lips were still puckered even when they broke apart. And she had to resist rolling her eyes at the signature smirk on his face.

"What?" She tried to sound annoyed, but it wasn't working. "I'm going to be late."

Ray grabbed her chin, lifting it up as he spoke to her. "Head held high, Yamada. You got this, like always. Don't doubt yourself. You're too much of a badass for that. We do have a reputation to uphold you know." He caressed her chin gently, and Stella tightened her arms around him.

"As the badass couple of Mesa High," Stella stated. "I know," she leaned forward, pressing her lips against his for one final kiss. "Thank you," she whispered sweetly before getting up and putting her stuff in her bag. Ray simply nodded at her, lifting his hand up, which Stella took. She grinned when he placed a kiss on her hand before winking at her. She didn't even bother to hide her blush before letting go and waving at him.

She faced her friends. "Wish me luck guys."

The dazed band muttered various wishes of good luck as Stella left, soon Ray following. They still couldn't get used to the spectacle that was Mesa High's unlikely couple.

 **A/N: This one was so much fun to write. Hope you all like it! The "O Captain, My Captain" reference is poem by Walt Whitman.**


	3. The Girlfriends Club

**Disclaimer: I don't own** _ **Lemonade Mouth.**_

Stella resisted the urge to flop against the incredibly uncomfortable bench as she sat next to an overly excited Mo. "Go Scott!" She yelled, clapping her hands for her boyfriend as he made another goal.

Stella rolled her eyes as Mo blew a kiss at him, which Scott returned when he puckered his lips at her.

"I'm going to be sick," Stella faked a gag, coughing violently.

Mo laughed, "Shut up Stella. Not every couple can be like you and Ray...constantly expressing…mutual hatred?" She sat back down, facing her friend.

Stella huffed as she adjusted herself on the bench. "Whatever Mo." Stella's eyes were trained on Ray as he sped across the field with the ball, then passing it to the open player who missed the goal. "Beech! What the heck was that? My grandmother could've made that pass!" Stella screamed the words, ensuring that Ray heard the whole thing, which he did judging by the obscene gesture he threw back at her. Stella erupted into a fit of giggles at his reaction. "It's just so fun to mess with him."

"Got that right," a strange male voice responded, making the girls turn quickly in its direction. Two guys wearing letterman jackets smirked up at them.

Mo's expression darkened when she recognized them. "What are you doing here Ian?"

The tall, sandy blonde smiled leeringly at Mo as he approached with another tall chestnut haired guy lagging along and staring in Stella's direction.

"Get out of here," Mo warned. She felt Stella slide closer to her as the guys ignored her and kept moving forward.

"C'mon Mo. Don't be like that. Ralph and I just want to visit our fellow soccer captain buddies."

Stella frowned, her eyes sweeping back and forth between the letterman jacket clad visitors. "Buddies?" Her tone incredulous, sarcastic, and venomous with every word she spoke, "Even when you're clearly from another team." She looked pointedly at their jackets, prompting the brunette known as Ralph to laugh.

"We're from Alto High. Champions and rivals to Mesa. I guess you caught us," he winked in Stella's direction.

Bristling from the inappropriate gesture, Stella tightened her arms around herself and felt a cool breeze hit her exposed shoulder. She shivered, reaching back to pick up a letterman jacket of her own and covering herself with it. She almost felt silly at the thought of the jacket as armor against the unsettling stares of the losers from a rival school.

Ian glanced at Stella, amusement in his eyes. "Look at that Ralph. Looks like we really did find the girlfriends club. And here I thought you were just another groupie." He directed the insult at Stella and grinned when she stood up.

"Groupie?" She yelled. Mo tried to calm her down, but Stella couldn't keep her feet from moving in the direction of the intruders. She stopped suddenly when she felt a tug at her jacket.

"Stella," Mo's frantic tone made Stella begin to worry about their safety. "Don't."

Ian's lips quirked into a small smile, "Mo...are you afraid of me?" He stepped closer, reaching out to grab of the bassist's long hair but was quickly blocked by a furious Stella slapping his hand away.

"Don't touch her! In fact, both of you get out of here now." She stood defiantly before the soccer players.

"Let me guess," he drawled. "Beech's girl?" He laughed as his eyes trailed down her body. "You're definitely different from his usual type."

Stella tightened her fists. "I guess so. I bet none of Ray's other girls had the guts to do this." She whipped her arm up, knocking Ian right in the nose. Mo looked on in horror as the jock fell over, clutching his nose.

After feeling around for a sign of a broken bone, Ian screamed. "You BITCH!" He struggled to get on his feet, immediately lunging forward.

Stella yelped, blind-sided by the guy's violent reaction. She and Mo scurried back, trying to distance themselves away from them. They didn't get very far when Mo ran into a body. Screaming, Mo clutched Stella's jacket as Ralph grabbed her around the waist. Stella turned around instantly to defend her friend when she felt a pair of arms slither around her waist and heavy breaths against her ear. "Now, that wasn't nice, but I guess Beech rubbed off on you."

Stella struggled against his grip, her eyes meeting Mo's terrified gaze as she too fought against the unwanted contact. "You know," Ian looked at his best friend, "We have the wrong girls. You've been eyeing this one," he pulled Stella roughly against him before continuing, "And I want her." His eyes rested on Mo, a threatening glint in his eye as he stared at her.

"Over my dead body," Stella spat. She lifted her leg and kicked her target swiftly. Ian immediately doubled over in pain, allowing Stella to break free from him and run over to Mo. She glared at Ralph ready to punch him out. "Let go of my friend or else you get a matching black eye with your friend."

The guy stared Stella down before finally giving in and letting go of Mo.

"Mo!" Stella and Mo turned around, now watching Scott rush up the bleachers, only stopping once he reached Mo and pulled her against him. Mo let out a whimper, her body falling limply against her boyfriend. She heard Scott's whispers frantically in her ear, "It's okay...shhh...it's okay baby." He kissed the top of her head before glaring at the captains of Alto's soccer team. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."

His threat made Ralph falter a bit, but Ian remained unfazed. "Lighten up Scott. We were just keeping your girl company while you played." He crossed his arms with a triumphant grin spreading across his face. "But since you're here, then we can just focus on the little bitch here." He sneered at Stella who didn't blink even at the harsh insult.

"That won't be necessary, because I'm pretty sure you don't want to end up in the hospital, which is what will happen if you call me that one more time, dickhead." She crossed her own arms, ready to hit him again if he tried anything.

Ian didn't get a chance to respond when a slow clapping interrupted the tense moment. Stella looked behind her, seeing Ray slowly climb up the stairs. He seemed to be taking his time, his hands still clapping mockingly as he angrily gazed at the rivals that crashed his practice. "You better listen to her, Vista. Her right hook is a killer." Ray spoke the joking words in a deliberately slow manner, his eyebrows furrowed. Stella glanced down at his hands, which were clenching and unclenching as he made the final steps of his climb.

Ian ignored the seething soccer captain, "I got that. Beech, I didn't know you had your girlfriends fighting your battles now."

Ray laughed darkly, "You see Ian," he raised his hand to his chin as if he was deep in thought. "I'm pretty sure that you were the one that bothered her first." He nodded in Scott's direction, "You actually had the nerve to mess with the co-captain's girl too."

He took one step, shielding Stella from Ian and Ralph's invasive stares. "And you were stupid enough to try and mess with my girl." He grinned, no amusement evident in the expression whatsoever. "I think that was your way of saying come kick my ass." Ray took a step forward, ready to pummel Ian's face in, but he was held back by Stella.

"Ray," she winced at her pleading tone. Stella Yamada didn't beg. "He's not worth it. Your coach is watching-he's doing this to get you in trouble." She narrowed her eyes at the unwelcome soccer players, "Plus, I already kicked his ass quite a bit. It'll totally bruise," Stella smiled sweetly. She felt Ray's arm slide around her waist.

"That's my girl," he stated proudly. He and Scott exchanged glances. "Go now, while you can still walk." Ray glared at the guys, never letting them leave his sight until he knew they were gone. He finally relaxed, glancing at Scott and Mo who held each other in a tight embrace before facing his girlfriend. He swiped a piece of hair out of her eyes and rubbed his thumb against her cheek. He searched every part of her face and body for a sign of injury. "You okay?" He bent down until he was eye level, "Did he hurt you?"

Stella could only shake her head weakly. "I hurt him more," she whispered.

Ray gave her a small smile, "I knew you would." His smile faltered, "Stell...I'm sorry. They will never go near you again."

Scott jumped in, "Unless they want to be completely destroyed." He tightened his grip on Mo, stroking her hair.

Ray sent an encouraging nod towards his best friend. "Absolutely." He looked at Stella. "No one touches you. No one," he emphasized the words.

Stella sighed loudly, surrendering in his arms like that stereotypical girlfriend that she didn't want to be. "I don't let anyone mess with me," her voice cracked as her thoughts lingered on the image of Ian trapping her against his body. "Ever." She uttered the word with a fierce determination that made Ray smile.

"I know babe." He leaned backwards so he could look at her better, his hand clutching the back of her head before gently pushing her face closer to his. He captured her lips in a deep kiss that made Stella feel literally weak at the knees. Stella was the first to pull away, curious to check on Mo who still hadn't recovered from the run in.

"Mo," she called worriedly, "They're gone…" she faltered when she noticed Mo trembling in Scott's arms, while he kept whispering something in her ear. She felt Ray squeeze her hips, alerting her to look into his eyes. She was shocked at the serious expression that remained there. "C'mon," he gently prodded her, "Let's give them some space." Stella just frowned, letting Ray lead her down the bleachers. Once they reached the bottom, he sat on the first bench and grabbed his water bottle, taking a long sip from it. He seemed to be avoiding Stella's gaze when the coach approached him.

"Beech," he asked in a worried tone, "Everything okay?"

Stella watched as Ray gave the coach a shaky smile, "Of course coach. We are going to annihilate them in Friday's game." The coach seemed satisfied with his answer, patting Ray on the shoulder before walking to the assistant coach to discuss next practice's strategies. Ray remained silent, officially freaking Stella out.

"Ray," she called, "Please explain to me what's going on. Do you know why Mo's so upset?" Ray finally faced her, grabbing her hand and bringing it to his lips in a surprise affectionate gesture. Even after dating for almost nine months, Stella still became blindsided by Ray's sweet moments. He released a deep sigh, rubbing his face with his free hand.

"Stell," he sighed. "Promise me something."

Stella's frown deepened. "Okay…?" She waited for him to start making sense here.

"When you see those guys…if you ever do—stay away from them." He stared at her, his blue eyes set in a serious expression that sent chills down Stella's spine. She reacted against the unconscious reaction, her rebellious streak taking over.

"Since when do you order me around, Beech?" She gestured to the top of the bleachers. "I handled myself back there. Frankly, I was awesome as usual. I didn't need you to save me," she felt tears prickling the corner of her eyes as she rambled. The fear that she felt when the Alto captain grabbed her ingrained itself into her brain, making her head ache. But, she was proud and didn't want Ray to see her as weak. "Okay? I'm not your weak girlfriend like that jerk assumed." She slid down the bench, creating distance between the two of them, which didn't even last a second, since Ray followed her.

"Hey," he wrapped his arm around her waist and grabbed her chin, trying to get her to look at him. "I know you can handle yourself. This is not about that…" He tugged her chin. "Babe, look at me." His pleading worked and he soon looked into Stella's determined brown eyes.

"What?" She growled, impatience flooding her voice.

"Those guys are not a joke. They hate us and are not above being cruel. That includes going after our girlfriends."

Stella stared at him for a long time, her heart sinking. "Did they do something to Mo?"

Ray stroked her chin before confirming her fear. "Ian tried. I had to hold Scott back from killing him."

Stella gulped heavily. "When?" her voice cracked.

Ray gazed at her, "At a party after one of our wins. Alto crashed it like they always do. It was before we started dating."

"Is that why you lied about the party?" Stella remembered feeling betrayed when she found out from Jules, of all people, about the way Ray celebrated a big win on Monday morning. Ray drove her home after the game, claiming he was going home to crash.

Ray rested his forehead against her shoulder. "Yeah."

"Did you lie, because you didn't want them to know who I was?" Ray's silence was her answer.

"Ray…" she was at a loss for words.

Ray lifted his head up, looking into her eyes. "I love you, Stell. I didn't want to take a risk if they showed up. I didn't want you on their radar. To even look at you." He clenched his jaw.

Stella's heart skipped at Ray's confession. She ran her hand through his blonde hair, rubbing her nose against his cheek before laying a soft kiss against it. "I love you, too." She gave him a soft smile, which he returned. "I appreciate you wanting to protect me. And I am still totally a feminist." She pointed at him, daring him to argue.

"Of course you are, Yamada. I also know that you could do some serious damage to those idiots. My hero," he cooed against her ear before playfully biting it. Stella squealed.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Is my best friend blushing?" Scott grinned at the couple while he teased them, his arm remained wrapped around Mo's waist protectively and he even managed to get her to crack a small smile.

"Mine is too," she announced, her smile growing just a bit wider.

Ray and Stella rolled their eyes in unison, and Ray had to bite back. "Look it's Ken and Barbie. Ken, are you ready to head back to the locker room so we can ditch this place?"

Scott laughed, shaking his head at his sarcastic friend, "Yup." He turned to face Mo, "We'll be right back, okay? You and Stella can just hang here." He waited for her to nod in acknowledgement before bending down to kiss her forehead. While Scott said goodbye to Mo, Ray focused his attention on Stella, pressing his lips against the side of her head. "Yeah. We'll be quick." He gazed at Stella, only turning away when she gave him a reassuring smile. Soon, Mo joined her on the bench, and the girls watched as Ray and Scott walked back to the school.

Stella immediately spoke up, worry laced in her voice. "You okay?"

Mo released a large sigh before offering Stella a tentative nod. "Yeah," she replied, "Thanks for having my back today. I wish I were as strong as you." Mo tucked a piece of her long, silky, jet- black hair behind her ear and kept her gaze averted.

Stella rested her hand against Mo's shoulder. "What are you talking about? You are one of the strongest people I know. Plus, I hardly knew the guy…you had to face him after…." Stella bit her lip, feeling regret consume her at even mentioning anything about it. "I'm sorry, Mo." She scrambled to backtrack, "Let's just forget it."

"No," Mo piped up softly, "It's okay. I'm guessing Ray told you about what happened?"

"He mentioned it briefly," Stella responded.

Mo nodded her head, sighing deeply. "It was at an after game celebration party at Ray's house. Scott got swept away into a crowd of adoring fans," this comment earned a snort from Stella, "So I was alone. Ian showed up out of nowhere. I knew of him, since Scott complained about how much of a prick he is…" She shuddered. "I guess that night I found out first hand."

Stella wrapped one arm around Mo's shoulder. "What did he do?"

"He recognized me as Scott's girlfriend, so he began to mock me for being left behind. Then, he quickly started hitting on me. I believe his line was 'If you were my girlfriend, I'd never let you out of my sight." Stella groaned, disgust evident on her face. Mo just nodded, knowing exactly what Stella was thinking. "I know. He was ridiculous…" She couldn't help but get swept away by the memory.

" _C'mon," Ian grabbed Mo's arm roughly and pulled her against him. "Let me show you how a real guy treats his beautiful girlfriend." Mo flinched away from his beer-drenched breath, trying to push him away from her arms._

" _No thanks," she protested, disgust in her voice. Clearly, Ian didn't bode too well with rejection, because the next thing she knew, she was being pressed against the wall, completely trapped under Ian's arms, and his face inched dangerously close to hers._

" _I don't think so," he exclaimed. His tone now lost any kindness he once used to try and charm her the old fashioned way. "When I see something I like, I get it. I like you. The fact that you're dating one of my rivals is the icing on the cake." He slid his hand under the back of her neck, forcing her to meet his lips. Mo screamed as he bruised her lips with his own, desperately clawing her way out of his firm grip. He finally pulled away, slapping his hand over her mouth and pushing himself against her in a way that made her skin crawl. "Fiesty," he grinned, "I like it." He looked around, laughing when he met her teary gaze. "No sign of the boyfriend. Just my luck." Mo felt his hand creep near the hem of her skirt, and for the first time in her life, she regretted wearing a dress. Her screams became more desperate, but his mouth muffled them to a screaming whisper. She wracked her brain, trying to figure out how she could get out of this situation, all the while trying to calm herself down as Ian's hand grabbed her thigh. She released a loud sob when suddenly all of the crushing weight holding her against the wall disappeared, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Scott pinning Ian down. Mo stared in horror as she watched Scott beat Ian up. He wouldn't stop hitting the rival soccer player even when his taunts stopped and he fell into a state of unconsciousness. If it weren't for Ray, who pried Scott off of him, Mo was certain that Scott would've ended up in jail for murder. The scene was a blurry mess for Mo. She recalled Scott grabbing her face, blood on his fists, as he begged her for forgiveness. Though, all she could recall was gripping his arms tightly before the world went black._

"Mo?" Stella's voice brought her back to reality.

"I'm sorry," she rubbed her forehead. "Bad memory."

Stella watched her friend with serious concern. "Don't they have a game this Friday?"

Mo released a shaky breath, "Yeah."

The girls fell into a disquieting silence, both oddly nervous at the idea of being at one of those parties. Before they could get lost in the worry, Scott and Ray appeared. "Ready to go?" Scott asked with an outstretched hand. Mo gave Stella a brief nod before placing her hand in Scott's, "All set," she reassured him.

Stella followed Mo's lead, standing up from the bench and smiling at Ray as he threw an arm over her shoulder and walked across the field.

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The next day, Mesa High's 2nd lunch period was bustling with excited chatter as everyone flocked to their tables and catch up with friends. Stella carried her tray, carefully dodging the hectic crowds until she stopped at the table where her bandmates sat. "Yo," she grinned at her friends as they returned her smiles.

Wen spoke up first, "What up Stell?" He raised his hand for a high-five, which Stella enthusiastically reciprocated. She turned to Charlie and initiated their signature fist bump before waving at his girlfriend who sat next to him. "Hey Natalie," she greeted with a warm smile, which Natalie returned, "Hey Stella!" Last but not least, Stella circled the table to greet Liv with a quick hug. When she pulled away, she finally noticed Mo was missing.

"Where's Mo?" She didn't miss the concerned looks of everyone at the mention of her name.

"She's sitting with Scott," Olivia replied. "But she did seem down when she stopped by to say hi. Is everything okay?" Stella glanced at the table filled with Mesa's soccer team, her eyes finding Mo's hunched over form sitting next to Scott. "Yeah," she tried to answer with certainty. "You know, I should go sit with the boyfriend today. I guess sometimes couples eat lunch together?" She looked at the two couples before pretending to gag, prompting the table to laugh. She waved goodbye and strode over to the table where she found a seat at the end, right in front of Mo.

"Hey," she greeted.

Mo looked up in surprise, smiling when she realized Stella was there. "Hey! So you finally made it to boyfriends' table?" She laughed when Stella rolled her eyes at the comment. When she and Ray dated, she vowed to never sit with him at lunch like everyone in the school would expect her to. She was Stella Yamada—if anything Ray would sit at her table.

"I came more for you," Stella opened her container of carrots and celery, crunching on one. "You okay?"

Mo lost her smile, finally letting her guard down. With a sad expression, she shook her head.

Stella opened her mouth to respond, but Scott finally turned back from his conversation with his teammates to check on Mo, and noticed Stella. "Stella!" He announced her name with a large smile, "You're here!"

Stella shrugged her shoulders, holding her arms out dramatically, "In the flesh. I decided to see what the Neanderthals were up to. I have a science project." She bit into her celery, grinning when she felt a presence behind her.

"Science project?" Ray scoffed from behind her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "You never run out of insults, huh?" He settled in the space between her and another one of his teammates and wrapped his left arm around her waist.

"Nope," Stella agreed happily. She turned her head, puckering her lips until they met his in a short kiss. She picked up another carrot with her left hand, crunching into it, and linked her fingers through Ray's hand that held her waist.

Mo couldn't help but smile as she watched the unlikely couple, "Scott. I think we're in the Twilight Zone."

Scott grinned, nodding along. "Most definitely." He slung his arm around her shoulder, placing a gentle kiss against her temple. "So, does this big step in PDA mean you two are finally going to be double dating with Mo and I more often?"

Stella shuddered, "Please. You two make out most of the time. I think you need alone time."

"Plus," Ray added, "We'll kind of have one on Friday. You'll both come to the game and the after party."

He smirked at Stella who just stared at him, clearly confused. "You haven't won yet."

Ray looked offended at the comment, looking at his best friend for back up. "Do you believe this? Yamada, it's our team. Of course, we'll win." He made sure to announce this loudly, so his teammates could erupt into cheers.

Stella rolled her eyes, glancing at Mo, but her expression quickly transitioned to one of worry. "Mo?"

Mo sat at the table in a daze. She barely heard Stella calling her name. "We're not going." Mo blurted out. She looked at Stella, almost begging her to follow along.

Stella understood immediately, feeling her own dread surge at the idea of meeting those two creeps again. "Yeah. Lemonade Mouth has a gig." She bit into her carrot, avoiding eye contact with Ray.

"Seriously?" He stared at her, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Seriously," Stella mimicked icily. She didn't like his anger filled reaction. "It's not like I was at the last one." She took a swig of her water, ignoring her infuriated boyfriend.

Ray removed his hand from her waist, shocking Stella at the loss of contact and prompting her to look into his eyes, clearly hurt by the reaction. "You're still upset by that? I explained yesterday."

Not wanting to hear another fight, Mo stepped into the ring. "Don't be upset with Stella, Ray. She's doing it for me." She stared at her food, alerting Scott.

"Mo," he whispered, "They won't be there, and I won't let you out of my sight. You know that, don't you?" He spoke the words quietly, but his voice had a determined edge that made Mo feel sick. She didn't want him to feel like her bodyguard.

"I know," she relented weakly. "I just don't want to go, okay? I don't want to take any chances."

Scott clenched his jaw, removing his arm from her shoulder. Stella wearily watched his reaction, assuming he would start a fight.

"Scott," she called, her voice taking on a pleading tone. "She's been through a lot. You understand that…" she stared at him pointedly, not noticing how her own body began to shake. "We don't know that they won't try to make an appearance. It'll be better if Mo and I stay away. Plus, I really don't want to meet my admirer again," she shivered at the thought of the way Ralph watched her yesterday.

Ray's head snapped in her direction, his blue eyes blazing with fury. "What admirer? You said nothing happened."

Stella brought her hand up to silence him, "Nothing did happen. But, he did bring a friend. It's not just creeper Ian stalking Mo." Suddenly, Ray punched to table, shaking it violently. "Damn it," he cursed under his breath. Stella looked scared for a moment, even scooting away.

Mo just sat there, her eyes clasped shut. She wanted everything to stop. She felt a finger trace her cheek, making her open her eyes and meet Scott's apologetic ones. "Mohini…I didn't mean to make you upset. I'm just mad that this asshole still scares you. I don't know how to fix it."

Leaning her head on his shoulder, Mo responded. "I just need you to be my best friend and boyfriend. That's all I need." She clutched his arm tightly, burying her face against it.

Scott sighed, sadly. "Done." He grabbed her cheek, lifting it up so that he could kiss her. "I love you," he stated when they broke apart.

Mo closed her eyes, a small smile appearing as she responded, "I love you too."

Stella watched them with a small smile on her face. She glanced at Ray who looked less angry now, but still tense. Even though she never surrendered during a fight, this situation felt different—maybe she really needed him this time. Lifting her hand, she fixed the stray blonde hair that fell against his face, making sure to rub his cheek a couple of times until he looked at her. She offered him a small smile, but he just stared at her with a serious expression.

"Ray, it's fine. Let's not fight over this, anymore." She watched him rub his eyes, and the image of his teary blue eyes shocked her to the core. She gulped uncomfortably, not knowing what to say. She allowed him to gather his thoughts, which he did eventually.

Looking her square in the eyes, he made a confession. "Seeing you scared freaks me out, Stell." His voice trembled.

He rubbed his face roughly, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice, but Stella already witnessed it. "And I hate seeing you upset, Ray." She scooted closer to him and mirrored Mo's actions with Scott, wrapping her arms around his and resting her head on his arm.

"You don't have to go to the party," he whispered. "I'm sorry for being such a jackass."

Stella couldn't resist the opportunity he gave her. "Wait…which time? You need to be more specific. You're a jackass most of the time." Her comment made Mo burst out in laughter, which instantly cheered Scott up, and of course, Ray scowled at his girlfriend.

"Ha, ha, ha! So funny," He grumbled.

Stella pouted, "Aw…I hurt my boyfriend's fragile ego." She pressed her lips against his cheek. "I love you, you know." She caressed his cheek, "So get over it." She picked up one of her pieces of celery, exchanging a grin with Ray.

 **A/N: This turned into a really long one! Hope you all like it. Thanks for reviewing!**


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